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Other sites are reporting that, according to Variety, Hasbro has asked stores to send everything back. Which probably means that what's in the stores will get put out and never restocked (at least in 2012), and what's in the distribution centers will be shipped back. For sale later, to be destroyed, or to wind up at Ross? Who knows?

Hasbro also claims to not be concerned about the loss of Joe in the toy aisle until next year.

Christ on a cracker, how can they botch this line so badly? Every time we think they've bottomed out, they dig a bit further.

Rush out the frickin' Crimson Guard and Cobra Trooper in three or four different color schemes, and re-release the hell out of the most popular 30th Anniversary figures. Heck, put the damned Retaliation Red Ninja on a card; he looks the same as the classic version and the mold's been available already. They could actually throw together a stopgap line that would outsell Joe sales overall for the past three years if they cut out all potential pegwarmers, thus actually encouraging retailers to order more movie crap next year!

The lack of vision at Hasbro bugs the $%^& out of me sometimes. I get tired of saying that I want to give them money and they make it really tough to do so.

I also read that report. It's a shame that yet another opportunity is lost...

I drove over 100 miles to Bakersfield on Friday to see Morrissey in concert and I visited their three Dollar General stores in search of the elusive DG Joes. At the first one, there weren't any Joes. I asked an employee there, explaining that I'd driven up from Los Angeles. She was very kind and checked the back, but they had nothing. She then offered, since she was leaving work, to let me follow her to another DG that was across town, so I did. When I got there, this DG had one each of SE, CC, and SW. The girl then went to find a friend who worked in the back to see if there were more, so I could complete the set. There weren't, but I was directed to another DG. No luck there. The employee mentioned that they only order the Joes after they have sold out and they only order a set at a time.

Ultimately, the concert was outstanding (the best of the 8 times I've seen him) and the $40 spent in gas for the round trip was not horrible, considering that I combined both the show and the search. The girl said that Dollar General is expanding throughout California, with the regional management office already located in Orange County. These stores will be in the Southern California area soon, she claimed. Will they be soon enough to make it in time to provide these Joes or their impending variants? Time will tell...

I apparently live in the only region of the country where every store (except one TRU, which put out vehicles a couple of days early) followed the street date, then followed the edict to send everything back (again, except this TRU, which, well, you can imagine how much was there a day after their BOGO sale started, given they're the only store around with anything at all--I had my pick of the motorcycles).

Anyone know who within Hasbro I could send an old-school paper letter to (since I'm assuming it would carry more weight than an e-mail), who might actually read it and might take it seriously? This is one humongous fustercluck at all levels. "A week before figures go out? Bam! Movie's delayed nine months. Hey, fans, whatever's out there is out there; you can buy it, but there won't be more until next year. Yo, stores: don't tell the fans, but send that $%^* back right now, because we ain't putting anything out until the movie and don't care if you give the space to Avengers or something."

This is a line that could have ENORMOUS potential if they weren't handling it like a bunch of brain-damaged toddlers.

That said, I really would hate to be a Hasbro rep at Comic-Con this year. Even if it's not their doing, they're going to get some serious crap from a lot of fans.

Only good thing to come out of this: I got some Renegades figures on clearance for custom fodder. And, with no toyline for the foreseeable future, I won't feel bad getting that Amazon Renegades set if it's still available.

I've heard that most Target stores either did not get the memo to return the product, or did not comply. I visited two of the Targets in my area yesterday, and was able to pick up most of what I wanted. Between the two stores, I saw most of the first wave of figures minus Cobra Commander, the new versions of the AWE Striker, Water Moccasin, and Sky Hawk (whatever they're calling them now) the HISS Tank, a three pack, the motorcycles, and a role-play pistol.
Did anyone else catch that apparently Roadblock is now a ninja too? At least, that's what it says on the back of the package, and I've seen artwork on some of the packaging that even shows him with an Arashikage clan tattoo on his bicep.

Intriguingly, HTS sent me shipping notices yesterday for the Retaliation stuff I pre-ordered (HISS, 3-packs, and the wave one case). I really expected the order to be cancelled, since Hasbro has decided to forego a mass release. As soon as they arrive, I'll be taking some of the figures back to Target for the ones I foolishly opened (the Cobra Trooper and the Cobra Commander).

Did anyone else catch that apparently Roadblock is now a ninja too? At least, that's what it says on the back of the package, and I've seen artwork on some of the packaging that even shows him with an Arashikage clan tattoo on his bicep.

They're going even more overboard with the ninja stuff now than they did with Ninja Force back in the 90s.

It's bothered me for a while that they plaster the Arashikage tattoo on everything. It's secret for a reason. Snake Eyes isn't going to paint it on the front of his motorcycle.

Went to two Targets and two WM's today. (Well, three WM's, but one didn't have anything yet.) You should have no problem finding the 3-packs. (Look at the LA Area Just Found thread. I don't want to re-type the whole story. )

I'm going to try to post reviews on what I got tonight or tomorrow. I passed on carded Roadblock, Zartan (I like, but $10 with sacrificed articulation and the lightpipe is no good--could say the same about Roadblock, with his fused hand), and the two motorcycles. Haven't seen the HISS and Ghost Hawk II yet (well, not counting last week before the delay announcement, when I saw them at TRU and figured they'd be cheaper everywhere else, and in large quantities).

Okay, I passed on the blue variants of Cobra Commander and the Joe Trooper, too, but, aside from the color, they're the same as the others.